Plan Overview

STRATEGYTACTICSTAGS
1A. Expand food benefits to reach more New Yorkers in more placesLaunch a new food program to address food security issues exacerbated by the pandemicFood Access (consumer); Food Security; Food & Income Assistance (SNAP, WIC, etc.); Purchasing Power (consumers); Food System Coordination; Good Food Governance, Legislation; Nutrition & Health; Food as Medicine; Food in Public Institutions; Food Sovereignty

1B. Distribute food more equitably


Transform the emergency food network
Enable food businesses to utilize more outdoor space
Evaluate options to limit exposure to unhealthy food and food marketing
Explore new ways to expand farmers’ markets and other programs that bring fresh fruits and vegetables to underserved communities
Support breastfeeding parents in hospitals, workplaces and community settings
Pursue federal support for businesses and nonprofits that provide fresh fruits and vegetables in underserved communities
Study ways to improve access to cold storage in underserved communities
Improve cafeteria culture in public schools
Explore ways to increase the amount of freshly prepared meals in public schools
Explore new partnerships with schools around food access
Food Security; Food Availability (retailers); Retail Zoning; Alternative food distribution tactics; Alternative Food Distribution Tactics; Farmers Markets; Emergency Response; Equity & Justice; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Food in Public Institutions; Food in Schools; Nutrition & Health; Food Storage; Supply Chain Infrastructure; Food System Coordination; Good Food Governance; Legislation; Food Sovereignty

1C. Reconfigure how the City sources food.


Create a shared commercial kitchen for providers serving older New Yorkers
Push for changes in state procurement law
Explore new ways to centralize and improve City food procurement
Study the viability of food hubs that expand public schools’ access to cold storage, processing space, and preparation capacity
Equity & Justice; Good Food Governance; Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning; Food System Coordination; Legislation; Public Procurement; Good/Local Food Economies; Food Sovereignty; Supply Chain Infrastructure; Food Aggregation & Food Hubs; Food Processing; Food Storage
STRATEGYTACTICSTAGS

2A. Protect food workers, improve pay and
benefits, and support ownership.


Enforce fair scheduling laws in fast food
Create financing and technical assistance plans to support worker-owned cooperatives
Push for state and federal changes that improve the condition of workers in the food industry
Support the workers who supply the City’s food programs
Explore ways to expand the City’s existing childcare programs to include night care for children of food service workers
Conduct a feasibility study on ensuring basic social safety net benefits
Good/Local Food Economies; Labor/Food Workers; Food Worker Wages; Good Food Governance; Legislation; Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning; Purchasing Power (consumers); Food Security; Food & Income Assistance (SNAP, WIC, etc.); Food Safety; Business Regulations


2B. Support small food businesses by cutting red tape and supporting innovation.



Push for a NYC Small Business Recovery Tax Credit for small businesses including food businesses
Streamline regulations and enforcement processes related to food businesses
Support NYCHA food entrepreneurs
Advance initiatives that protect food business and customer data
Push for expanded and new state and federal programs that support the needs of food businesses and cooperative efforts
Make it easier for vendors to participate in City procurement
Good/Local Food Economies; Small Business Support; Business regulations; Entrepreneurship; Workforce Development; Good Food Governance; Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning; Legislation; Public Procurement


2C. Train the next generation of food workers for high-quality jobs




Launch a Food Community Hiring initiative
Support training for food technology careers
Support the creation and expansion of career pathways in the food sector
Create workforce development programs for school food workers
Workforce Development; Training & Education, General; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement);
STRATEGYTACTICSTAGS


3A. Strengthen the City’s food infrastructure
Continue to implement FreightNYC
Continue to modernize Hunts Point
Strengthen the city’s Industrial Business Zones
Pursue development of critical food supply chain facilities
Support federal funding for infrastructure
Support the development of borough and neighborhoodbased food hubs, starting with the Central Brooklyn Food Hub
Supply Chain Infrastructure; Regional Coordination; Good/Local Food Economies; Food System Coordination; Good Food Governance; Climate Mitigation; Funding & Investment Strategies



3B. Improve regional coordination and sourcing
Partner on a regional institutional food demand analysis
Increase the share of regional food the City purchases
Promote the creation of regional Food Aggregation & Food Hubs centers
Advance educational and other partnerships between NYC institutions and regional farms
Good Food Governance; Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning; Good/Local Food Economies; Regional Coordination; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Training & Education, General; Supply Chain Infrastructure; Food Aggregation & Food Hubs; Food in Public Institutions; Agriculture & Food Production



3C. Support increased urban farming.
Remove barriers to urban farming
Explore new spaces for urban farming
Expand Farms at NYCHA
Pilot innovations in urban farming technologies
Land Access; Farmland zoning & regulations; Community Food Growing; Food Sovereignty; Agriculture & Food Production
STRATEGYTACTICSTAGS



4A. Integrate sustainability and animal welfare into City food programs
Include sustainability criteria in commercial waste zone contracts
Explore ways to integrate sustainability and animal welfare into City food procurement
Pursue federal dietary recommendations that consider environmental sustainability in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Collect 90% of citywide organic waste by 2030
Agriculture & Food Production; Sustainable Supply Chain; Climate Mitigation; Public Procurement; Good/Local Food Economies; Food Waste; Commercial Food Waste; Nutrition Regulations




4B. Reduce in-city air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the food system
Explore ways to make cold storage locations more energy efficient
Plan for a cleaner, more efficient, and more resilient food transportation network
Partner with utilities to incentivize electrification and improve air quality
Climate Mitigation; Agriculture & Food Production; Sustainable Supply Chain; Food Transport; Food Storage; Food Waste; Land & Resource Use; Energy




4C. Promote innovation around food and sustainability
Advocate for the inclusion of local seafood and seaweed in the New York State Grown & Certified program
Create national research-informed standards for expiration dates on food products
Explore ways to reduce use of single-use items in food service
Pursue legislative action to reduce the impacts of packaging and single-use items
Bolster community-owned waste management initiatives
Good/Local Food Economies; Agriculture & Food Production; Seafood & Fisheries; Food Labeling & Marketing; Food Waste; Commerical Food Waste; Land & Resource Use; Oceans and Waterways; Legislation; Good Food Governance; Food System Coordination
STRATEGYTACTICSTAGS




5A. Strengthen community engagement and cross-sector coordination around the development and implementation of food policy
Deepen regional engagement through a NYC Regional Food Working Group
Partner with the non-governmental sector to maximize community participation in food policy decision-making
Launch a Public Housing Food Leadership Innovation Lab
Explore the creation of a food justice fund
Good Food Governance; Funding & Investment Strategies; Food System Plan Implementation; Food System Coordination; Regional Collaboration; Public Private Partnerships; Equity & Justice;





5B. Create and share knowledge about the food system.
Improve and share the City’s food procurement data
Conduct a regional food flow study and enhance stakeholder engagement for emergency management
Develop measures that capture multiple dimensions of food insecurity
Partner with the private and civic sectors on food education campaigns around sustainability and nutrition
Good/Local Food Economies; Public Procurement; Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning; Good Food Governance; Emergency Response; Food Security; Public Private Partnerships; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Training & Education; Nutrition & Health; Agriculture & Food Production

Plan Information

CategoryDatabase entry
Plan RegionNew York City
Publication Date2021
Entry reviewed by original authorNo
PDF attachmentView Full Report
Plan TitleFood Forward: A 10-Year Food Policy Plan
WebpageAdopted
Author(s)https://www1.nyc.gov/site/foodpolicy/reports-and-data/food-forward.page
Author Type New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy 
Region Type Government
Funding Sources City
FundersMunicipal Government; Foundations; Individual Donors; Non-profit organizations/Entities
Total Project BudgetDiverse set of funders and organizations that contributed staff time, funds, or knowledge ranging from individual donors, foundations, non-profit organizations, and municipal government. For a complete list, see page 85.
Plan GoalsUnspecified
Intended AudienceThe Food Forward plan outlines 5 central goals:
1. All New Yorkers have multiple ways to access healthy, affordable and culturally appropriate food;
2. New York City’s food economy drives economic opportunity and provides good jobs;
3. The supply chains that feed New York City are modern, efficient and resilient;
4. New York City’s food is produced, distributed, and disposed of sustainably;
5. Support the systems and knowledge to implement the 10-year food policy plan.
Plan Recommendation StructureBroader NYC community, and more specifically, agencies that set policy, provide oversight and manage systems (such as Mayor’s office, law departments, and emergency management), agencies that serve food (such as Department of Corrections, hospitals, schools, etc.), and agencies that support the city’s food supply (such as city planning, environmental protection, NYC Housing Authority, etc.).
Catalyst for PlanThe plan outlines five goals, each with strategies (14 total) and sub-strategies to reach these goals. Under each sub-strategy, the plan outlines if the strategies are near-term, medium-term, and long-term.
Creation ProcessPolitical climate within the mayoral office.
Theoretical Framework(s) Employed  The creation of this document occurred over the span of 10 months.
Processes included:1. Workshops, briefing and interviews with 300+ individuals.2. Development of two community engagement reports for the Food Policy Plan to be built upon: “Take Care New York” which included dozens of community workshops on health equity, and the COVID-19 Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity, (https://www1.nyc.gov/site/trie/about/about.pag) which surveyed hundreds of community organizations.3. This policy plan also builds on the goals articulated in NYC’s strategic long-term plan, OneNYC (https://onenyc.cityofnewyork.us/#main-content).
Theoretical Framework(s): Additional LiteratureN/A
Development TimelineUnspecified
Implementation Strategy10 months
Implementation TimelineThis plan offers suggestions for implementation strategies such as legislative changes, investments in specific projects, programs, and infrastructure. Additionally, they offer near term actions (2021-2022), medium term actions (2023-2024), and long term actions (2025+) and outline whether they should be implemented via legislation, or via the Good Food Purchasing Program, a national nonprofit that builds a framework to help “institutions better understand the source of the food they purchase and provides a methodology to quantify the impact of the food along five core values” (pg. 31).
Evaluation Strategy10 years
International Development Framework(s)None
Current Plan StatusUnknown
Government Adoption StatusUnknown
Government Adoption Status (Notes)N/A
Supplemental Documents View Supplemental Documents